अनुस्वारः पदान्तश्च क्रमजं प्रत्यये स्वके
The anusvāra at the end of a word, and that which arises in its own affix in sequence,
पादादौ चापादादौ संयोगावग्रहेषु च
At the beginning of a pāda, and at the beginning of a pāda after another, and in cases of conjuncts and avagraha,
पादादावप्यविच्छेदेसंयोगान्ते च तिष्टताम्
Even at the beginning of a pāda, without separation, let it remain at the end of a conjunct.
अणुशेषो ह्रिगो वापि युगलादिरविस्फुटः
A residual short vowel or the letter 'hṛ' as well, or an indistinct pair at the beginning,
यन्नीचं नीचमेव तद्यत्प्रचयस्थं तदपि नीचम्
Whatever is low remains low; whatever is in a cluster, that too is low.
प्रियं दूतं घृतं चित्तमतिशब्दस्तु नीचतः
The words 'priya', 'dūta', 'ghṛta', 'citta', and the word 'ati' are to be pronounced in the low tone.
शतेषु सपवित्रेषु नीचादुञ्चार्यते श्रुतिः
Among the hundreds and among the pure, the recitation rises from the low to the high tone.
विश्वानरोनकारश्च शेषास्तुस्वरिता नराः
The syllable 'viśvānara' and the letter 'o' are to be pronounced with the svarita accent; the rest, O men, likewise.
अदीर्घं दीर्घवत्कुर्याद्द्विस्वरं यत्प्रयुज्यते
A short vowel should be made as if long, wherever a double accent is applied.
निमेषकालो मात्रा स्याद्विद्युत्कालेति चापरे
The time of a blink is called a mātrā; others say it is the time of a lightning flash.
ऋक्स्वरा तुल्ययोगा वा कैश्चिदेवमुदीर्यते
The accents of the Ṛk, or those with equal conjunction, are declared thus by some.
येतीक्षरादिकरणं पदान्तस्येति तं विदुः
They know that the application of the accent begins from the initial syllable up to the end of the word.
विवृतयश्चतस्रो वै विज्ञेया इति मे मतम्
There are four kinds of openings to be understood—such is my opinion.
ह्रस्वादिवत्सानुसृता वत्सानुसारिणी चाग्रे
Following the short vowel, and at the beginning, that which follows the calf (i.e., the following sound) is also at the front.
चतसृणां विवृतीना मन्तरं मात्रिकं भवेत्
Among the four openings, the interval should be measured by a mātrā.
अर्द्धमात्रिकमन्येषामन्येषामणुमात्रिकम्
For the others, it is half a mātrā; for yet others, it is an aṇu-mātrā.
पवेषु परसवर्णं स्पर्शेषु चोत्तमापतिम्
In the case of 'pa', the following letter is of the same class; in the case of stops, the highest lord is applied.
अकारं रक्तमित्याहुस्तकारेण तु रज्यते
They say that the letter 'a' is red, and with the letter 'ta' it is colored.
अर्द्धमात्रा तु पूर्वस्य रज्यते त्वणुमात्रया
The half-measure of the preceding (syllable) is extended by a further minimal measure.
रेफो रङ्गश्च लोपश्च सानुस्वरो ऽपि वा क्वचित्
The 'repha', the 'raṅga', and elision, as well as sometimes the nasalization, (may occur).
मृदुश्चैव द्विमात्रश्च दधन्वां इति निदर्शनम्
It is both soft and of two measures in length; 'dadhanvā' is given as an example.
एवं रङ्गः प्रयोक्तव्यो नारदैतन्मतं मम
Thus should 'raṅga' be applied; this is my view, O Nārada.
चतुर्णां पदजातीनां पदान्ता दश कीर्तिताः
Of the four types of metrical feet, ten kinds of word-endings are described.
व्यञ्जना न तु वर्तन्ते यत्र तिष्टति स स्वरः
Consonants do not occur where only a vowel remains.
मणिवद्व्यञ्जनं विद्यात्सूत्र वञ्च स्वरं विदुः
One should understand the consonant as like a gem, and the vowel as the thread (that holds it).
दुर्बलं व्यजनं तद्वद्धरेत बलवान्स्वरः
The consonant is weak in that case, while the vowel is strong.
जिह्वामूलमुपध्मा च गतिरष्टविधोष्मणः
The root of the tongue, the labial, and the eightfold movement of the sibilants (should be known).
विसर्गस्तत्र मन्तव्यरतालव्यश्चात्र जायते
There, the visarga should be considered, and the palatal is also produced.
व्यञ्जनाख्या विवृत्तिस्तु स्वराख्या प्रतिसंहिता
The expansion is called 'consonantal'; the close contact is called 'vocalic'.
विवृत्तिर्या भवेत्तत्र स्वराख्यां तां विनिर्द्दिशेत्
Wherever there is expansion, that is designated as 'vocalic'.